Psychology and Psychologists

News about Psychology and Psychologists, including commentary and archival articles published in The New York Times.

Chronology of Coverage

Jul. 31, 2015

American Psychological Association is expected to recommend stringent ethics policy that prohibits psychologists from taking part in national security interrogations; recommendation, response to report revealing role of psychologists in interrogation and torture of suspects during Bush administration, has potential to hinder even non-coercive investigations being carried out under Obama. MORE

Jul. 11, 2015

Investigation requested by board of American Psychological Assn finds Central Intelligence Agency's health experts repeatedly denounced agency's post-Sept 11 interrogation program, which included torture, but objections were rejected by important outside psychologists who gave program credibility; investigators' report concludes some of top American Psychological Association officials tried to curry favor with Pentagon officials. MORE

Jun. 28, 2015

New generation of psychoanalysts is attempting to integrate brain science and use of magnetic resonance imaging into their practice in order to save psychoanalysis from obsolescence. MORE

Jun. 28, 2015

Hanya Yanagihara describes how his father's fascination with talk therapy led to his own fear of therapy; says he has instead opted to channel his inner life via being novelist. MORE

Jun. 23, 2015

Study in journal Current Biology concludes that children as young as age 3 will show Good Samaritan instinct, coming to to aid of a victim, and displaying sense of victim-focused justice. MORE

May. 31, 2015

Claire Nee Gray Matter column describes study she conducted using simulated environment to find out how and why burglars commit burglaries, which was published in journal Psychology, Crime and Law; suggests that simulated environments hold vast potential for understanding criminal behavior. MORE

May. 10, 2015

Benjamin Markovits Lives essay describes catching fleeting glimpse of his darker side during incident in which boat he was piloting with his friend and sister overturned in Baltic Sea. MORE

Apr. 26, 2015

Jeffrey Ely, Alexander Frankel and Emir Kamenica Gray Matter column recounts findings of their study, published in Journal of Political Economy, showing major aspect of entertainment is revelation of outcome over time, creating suspense and surprise; holds knowing what makes for good entertainment, whether sports, movies or books, is good way to understand human psyche. MORE

Apr. 19, 2015

T M Luhrmann Op-Ed article highlights increasingly common view among scholars that how people process facts depends on whether they think with factual mind-set or religious mind-set; suggests that this view should influence methods of engaging religious people on issues, due to fact that religious people tend to respond to moral arguments rather than ones based on evidence. MORE

Apr. 19, 2015

Lisa Feldman Barrett and Jolie Wormwood Gray Matter column describes their research, published in journal Nature Reviews Neuroscience, journal Emotion, and Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, on affective realism, tendency for emotions to influence what people see; notes that research can shed light on why police officers shoot unarmed men, perceiving them as threat. MORE

Apr. 9, 2015

Op-Ed article by Prof Eli J Finkel observes that Jeb Bush's mistaken identification as Hispanic on voter registration form, whatever its political implications, is psychologically interesting; cites research suggesting that romantic relationships often cause people to shift their sense of identity in profound ways; suggests Bush's error was far more likely given that his wife is Hispanic. MORE

Mar. 29, 2015

News Analysis; little-known branch of psychology known as perceptual learning has become increasingly relevant as scientists are confronted with massive amounts of abstract digital data; for now, many researchers bring in visually creative experts to offer insight into visual data, but research has shown that perceptual training can enhance scientists abilities to pick up on patterns themselves. MORE

Mar. 14, 2015

Mar. 8, 2015

Henry Alford Circa Now column discusses etiquette of terminating therapy, which he says is complicated emotional process for both client and therapist. MORE

Feb. 15, 2015

Gray Matter column by psychology Prof Jeffrey M Zacks reflects on tendency of some people to internalize so-called 'facts' that are in fact erroneous, as evidenced by Academy Award-nominated films based on true stories that are not entirely accurate; notes that psychological research shows that correcting misinformation explicitly at time it is received helps to reduce its influence, but that applying findings to movies that mislead viewers presents a challenge. MORE

Feb. 10, 2015

Paul Sullivan Wealth Matters column highlights nascent field of financial therapy, which delves into psychology of personal finances. MORE

Feb. 8, 2015

News Analysis; revenge is pervasive theme in contemporary culture, and is central to many books, films, hit songs and television programs, but there has been surprisingly little research done on topic; what research has been done suggests that revenge rarely makes avenger feel better. MORE

Feb. 1, 2015

Gray Matter column by Prof Kurt Gray and graduate student Chelsea Schein describes their research, published in Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, on ways different ideological groups view victims in acts considered by them to be immoral; notes that research offers insight into ideas such as 'victimless crimes,' which are psychologically rare, and into why some conservatives view same-sex marriage as socially harmful. MORE

Jan. 21, 2015

Op-Ed article by Prof Daniel T Willingham points to research suggesting that people's average attention span has not been impacted in any meaningful way by use of manifold digital devices like smartphones; argues instead that such devices have made users unwilling, but not unable, to pay attention, and that these users prefer endless entertainment to worthier activities. MORE

Jan. 20, 2015

Youyou Wu study in journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences reports that researchers have developed algorithm that can predict person's personality more accurately than their friends and family by using their Facebook profile. MORE

Jan. 19, 2015

A doctor’s objective eye, unclouded by a relationship, is a key to more effective medical care. MORE

Jan. 18, 2015

Gray Matter column by Profs Anita Woolley, Thomas W Malone and Christopher Chabris describes their research on why some groups work together better than others, which was published in journal PLoS One; notes that findings suggest that both in person and online, groups work better if they have more women and if members communicate well and possess good emotion-reading skills. MORE

Jan. 10, 2015

Alina Tugend Shortcuts column examines psychological research in order to clear up some of myths that surround habits and to offer advice for how to succeed in keeping New Year's resolution. MORE

Jan. 5, 2015

By creating a mission statement people can begin to identify the underlying causes of behaviors, as well as what truly motivates them to make changes. MORE

Jan. 4, 2015

Phyllis Korkki Applied Science column examines study in Journal of Consumer Research showing that people are more likely to reach goals set within the current year or month than those stretching into later periods; notes that one's mind responds with stronger motivation when it thinks time is of the essence. MORE

Jan. 4, 2015

Op-Ed article by Prof Ruth Chang suggests taking occasion of the new year to reflect on how to change oneself as a person, rather than changing one's habits; underscores value in altering view of how to think about choices that life presents. MORE

Jan. 4, 2015

Gray Matter column by Profs Ariel Malka and Michael Inzlicht describes their research into how personality characteristics affect a person's political views, which appears in Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. MORE

Dec. 26, 2014

Milwaukee Bucks owners Wesley Edens and Marc Lasry have retained facial coding expert Dan Hill to analyze players and team chemistry; owners were impressed with Hill's work finding college prospects to draft; Hill analyzes facial expressions to make up psychological assessments of players, and while team's management seems to believe in efficacy of method, some experts question whether it is effective. MORE

Dec. 23, 2014

Early 20th-century scientist Ivan Pavlov is associated in popular imagination with experiments in which he trained dog to salivate upon hearing ringing of bell; Daniel P Todes biography Ivan Pavlov: A Russian Life in Science paints more complex picture of man trying to understand mysteries of human consciousness. MORE

Dec. 12, 2014

David Brooks Op-Ed column observes emergence of new kind of policy making in some areas of world based on idea that humans do not always make decisions in a rational or unbiased way; notes World Bank report detailing how insights of behavioral economics can be applied to global development and health; says that policies informed by behavioral economics are rooted in real human behavior, cheap yet effective and often superior to larger, more abstract policy favored by some governments. MORE

Dec. 11, 2014

Senate report on interrogation techniques used by CIA suggests that classic psychology experiments performed in 1960s provided basis, half century later, for brutal questioning methods like waterboarding. MORE

Dec. 2, 2014

Op-Ed article by psychology Profs Christopher Chabris and Daniel Simons examines overconfidence in memory and the surprisingly serious problems it presents; notes issue is particularly significant in the judicial system, where distorted eyewitness memories can lead to false incarcerations or even executions; cites evidence that humans regularly tend to express strong confidence in false memories. MORE

Nov. 28, 2014

Arthur C Brooks Op-Ed article describes how he changed his behavior, and even felt happier and more courteous, after he started to use briefcase emblazoned with name of Mormon college Brigham Young University; notes it is example of psychological phenomenon known as moral elevation, emotional state that leads one to act virtuously when exposed to virtues of others; contends voters should challenge political leaders and demand climate of moral elevation. MORE

Nov. 25, 2014

University of Zurich study in journal Nature suggests that bankers who are reminded of their profession behave more dishonestly than those bankers who are not asked about their career. MORE

Nov. 14, 2014

American Psychological Association will conduct an independent review into whether it colluded with or supported government’s use of torture in interrogation of prisoners during Bush administration; questions about role of American psychologists and behavioral scientists in development and implementation of program have been raised by human rights advocates as well as critics within psychological profession itself. MORE

Nov. 6, 2014

Clinical psychologist Cecilia Dintino and patient Jill Powell will star in musical Borderline, which features the two women playing themselves as they deal with Powell's lifelong struggle with borderline personality disorder; show will run in November at the Provincetown Playhouse. MORE

Nov. 3, 2014

People ideally would base medical decisions on an unbiased evaluation of evidence. But people are often irrational and don’t rely on facts. MORE

Oct. 28, 2014

C Nathan DeWall Science essay notes convergent research in psychology, neuroscience and philosophy showing that adults, like children, are prone to magical thinking; submits that magical thinking, which includes belief in phenomena without physical proof and equating image of something with its existence, is part of evolved psychology. MORE

Oct. 26, 2014

Bruce Grierson article focuses on Ellen Langer, psychologist who showed that mental attitudes might reverse some of effects of old age, and is now studying whether same principle will work with cancer. MORE

Oct. 26, 2014

Gabriele Oettingen Gray Matter column relates research showing that, contrary to popular wisdom, positive thinking can often hinder people; observes that excessive optimism can drain people of the energy they need in order to pursue their goals. MORE

Oct. 19, 2014

Op-Ed article by cognitive psychologist Therese Huston highlights findings by neuroscientists suggesting that women bring unique strength to decision making under pressure. MORE

Oct. 19, 2014

Gray Matter column by graduate student Konika Banerjee and Prof Paul Bloom describes their research on origin of belief that everything happens for a reason, which was published in journal Cognition and will be published in journal Child Development; notes that research suggests that tendency to see meaning in life events reflects powerful drive to reason in psychological terms. MORE

Oct. 13, 2014

A study of 57 videotaped interrogations of teenagers by the police found that none of them remained silent, suggesting they are particularly vulnerable at such times. MORE

Sep. 21, 2014

Gray Matter column by Prof Laurence Steinberg contends that prolonged adolescence, in the right circumstances, can foster novelty-seeking and acquisition of new skills; disputes notion that it is bad to postpone settled, responsible patterns of adulthood. MORE

Sep. 21, 2014

TED Global presentation by Amy Cuddy, social psychologist and associate professor at Harvard University, on what she calls 'power poses' is among the most viewed TED Talks of all time; Cuddy has attracted lucrative speaking invitations from around the world, a contract from Little Brown & Co for a book to be published in 2015 and an eclectic army of posture-conscious followers. MORE

Sep. 14, 2014

Pamela Druckerman Op-Ed article examines work of Prof Walter Mischel, psychologist who invented legendary 'marshmallow' experiment on self-control nearly 50 years ago; notes that Mischel's forthcoming book The Marshmallow Test: Mastering Self-Control, suggests that self-control can be taught, and can be used to confront wide range of adult dilemmas. MORE

Sep. 12, 2014

Study published in journal Science looking at daily attitudes provides a rough idea of just what constitutes the moral content of a random day; survey details frequency of good and bad behaviors, what those mitzvahs and misdemeanors actually are, and how observers' political and religious views color their judgments. MORE

Sep. 7, 2014

Paul A O'Keefe Gray Matter column describes research he published along with Lisa Linnenbrink-Garcia in the Journal of Experimental Psychology, finding that interest and enjoyment greatly improve resistance to fatigue while carrying out a task; argues that study has strong implication both for education and the workplace. MORE

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